Community Futures

Name

Community Futures

Legal name

Community Futures Network of Alberta

Website

https://grandeprairie.albertacf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Finance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)

Keywords

• Small business lending
• Rural business development
• Entrepreneur coaching
• Business training programs
• Community economic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Grande Prairie

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Community Futures is a non-profit organization funded primarily by Western Economic Diversification Canada. The organization provides loans and business services at low or no cost to entrepreneurs, generating revenue through government grants rather than commercial operations.
2. Loan Interest Revenue: Business loans generate interest revenue with flexible terms. Loans range up to $150,000 with qualification criteria that are more flexible than traditional banks. Interest rates include Prime + 2% for certain loan products.
3. Loan Processing Fees: Application fee of $200 and administration fee of $500 for approved Capital Growth Initiative loans. These fees partially offset the cost of loan processing and assessment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region provides flexible small business loans up to $150,000, free one-on-one business consulting and coaching, and structured training programs to rural entrepreneurs and small business owners in Alberta who are unable to secure financing from traditional banks. It complements these financial and advisory services with the proprietary Launch Pad online learning platform and specialized programs for women, youth, Indigenous, BIPOC, and disabled entrepreneurs. The organization is a non-profit funded primarily by Western Economic Diversification Canada and operates as part of the 267-office Community Futures national network.

Product overview

Community Futures offers a unified portfolio of business development services centered on rural small business support. The core offering consists of flexible small business loans (up to $150,000) and one-on-one business consulting and advisory services. These foundational services are complemented by the Launch Pad online learning platform with five structured courses, specialized programs including the Capital Growth Initiative Loan for women entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneurs With Disabilities Program, EmpowRise for BIPOC entrepreneurs, and the annual Hyperdrive women in business summit. The organization also provides Mastermind peer groups and strategic planning services. Together, these products form a comprehensive ecosystem addressing the full business lifecycle from startup through growth and succession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• Business loans up to $150,000 with flexible qualification criteria for entrepreneurs turned down by traditional lenders
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Banks and Financial InstitutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with traditional banks and financial institutions to bridge the financing gap for entrepreneurs. Community Futures helps make clients more bankable so they can continue their journey with traditional lenders.
• Chambers of Commerce and Rotary ClubsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborate to host presentations, information sessions, and advance training and skills of the business community. Partnership creates community growth, jobs, and economic diversification.
• Municipalities and Economic Development CommitteesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWork closer with municipalities to develop more prosperous business communities and stronger diversified economies. Rural Economic Diversification is the core focus with community economic development plans and projects.
• Alberta Women EntrepreneursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for urban/metropolitan areas (Calgary, Edmonton, St. Albert, Fort Saskatchewan) directing women entrepreneurs to appropriate Capital Growth Initiative Loan resources.
• BIPOC FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting the EmpowRise program for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) entrepreneurs in the Grande Prairie region.
• Hyperdrive Women in Business Summit PartnersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual women in business summit with podcast, social media, and networking events. Partners include local businesses and organizations supporting women entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Futures Canada: National association representing all 267 Community Futures offices across Canada. National-level peer providing the strategic coordination, federal advocacy, and program standardization that local offices like Community Futures Grande Prairie operate within.
• NACO - National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association: Canadian network of Indigenous Financial Institutions providing loans and business support to Indigenous entrepreneurs. Closely comparable to Community Futures' Indigenous entrepreneurship programming, with similar developmental lending model targeted at an underserved community segment, though with explicit Indigenous-led governance.
• Futurpreneur Canada: National non-profit organization providing financing, mentorship, and resources to young Canadian entrepreneurs (ages 18-39). Direct peer to Community Futures' youth entrepreneurship programming, with the same model of providing loans + advisory support that mainstream banks decline, though at a national scale and younger demographic.
• Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE): Alberta-based non-profit providing loans, advisory, and networking for women entrepreneurs. Direct peer and active partner of Community Futures for the Capital Growth Initiative Loan program — AWE handles urban markets (Calgary, Edmonton) while Community Futures handles rural Alberta, creating a complementary geographic split.
• Community Futures Network of Alberta: Provincial umbrella organization coordinating 27 Community Futures offices across rural Alberta, including Grande Prairie. Parent/peer network that shares the Launch Pad platform, training programs, and federal funding relationships — effectively the franchise system of which Community Futures Grande Prairie is a member.

Broad incumbents

• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Canada's federal development bank providing loans, capital, and advisory services to Canadian small businesses, including rural entrepreneurs. BDC is both a strategic partner and the broader incumbent in the Canadian developmental lending space that Community Futures operates within, with loans up to $5M versus CF's $150K cap.
• Desjardins Group: Canadian cooperative banking and financial services group with deep community development roots across Quebec and expanding nationally. Comparable mission-driven approach to community economic development and cooperative ownership, though Desjardins operates at vastly larger scale as a full-service financial institution.
• Vancity Credit Union: Canadian community-based credit union focused on financial inclusion, sustainable community development, and member-driven governance. Comparable in mission-driven community finance focus, though Vancity is a regulated deposit-taking institution with broader financial services than Community Futures' specialized lending/coaching model.

Emerging players

• Canadian Women's Foundation: National public foundation supporting gender equity and women's economic empowerment in Canada, including entrepreneurship programs. Partial overlap with Community Futures' women entrepreneur programming and Capital Growth Initiative Loan mission, though operating primarily as a grantmaking/advocacy body rather than a direct lender.

Others

• Opportunity Finance Network: US national network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) providing capital and services to underserved entrepreneurs and communities. Most direct international peer in terms of operating model — non-profit developmental lenders filling financing gaps in rural/underserved markets — though OFN is a network membership body rather than an operating lender.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CFGrandePrairie
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityFuturesGP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cf-gp
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityfuturesgp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Futures